Beverage compositions containing green tea solids, electrolytes and carbohydrates to provide improved cellular hydration and drinkability

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a composition, preferably in the form of a beverage, whereby cellular hydration and drinkability are enhanced by the combination of green tea solids with selected levels and types of electrolytes and carbohydrates. The compositions comprise (a) from about 0.01% to about 0.35% flavanols; (b) from about 0.01% to about 0.3% sodium ions; (c) from about 0.005% to about 0.08% potassium ions; (d) from about 0.1% to about 20% of a carbohydrate which provides; (i) from about 0.05% to about 10.0% fructose; (ii) from about 0.05% to about 10.0% glucose; and (e) water.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a composition, preferably in the form of abeverage, whereby cellular hydration and drinkability are enhanced bythe combination of green tea solids with selected levels and types ofelectrolytes and carbohydrates.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Moderate physical activity, prolonged exercise or working in hot, humidenvironments causes excessive loss of minerals and body fluids throughperspiration and breathing. Physical activity, such as exercise,particularly in the heat, places a great metabolic demand on a humanbody. Heat generated during exercise is dissipated during sweating.

Sweat which is lost from the body during exercise can produce a state ofdehydration or hypohydration. Associated with dehydration is animpairment of the body's heat dissipation and performance capacity. Itis well known that loss of water, electrolytes, and depletion ofcarbohydrates are the primary causes of fatigue which can impair workcapacity. To maintain performance it is necessary to replace the lostwater, electrolytes, carbohydrates and other nutrients.

Attempts have been made to counteract these adverse effects of strenuousactivity. Consumption of water helps maintain body temperature and bloodvolume, but water is absorbed relatively slowly. Products have beendeveloped recently which combine sugar, water, essential electrolytesand other ingredients lost from the body through physical activity.Several well known products are Gatorade Thirst Quencher®, All Sport®and PowerAde®. Other compositions are well known and are described, forexample in U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,606 issued to Boyle et al. Oct. 17, 1989and 4,322,407 issued to Ko, Mar. 30, 1982.

The focus of rehydration (Sports) beverages, has been to replenish lostelectrolytes, carbohydrates, and other essential constituents which arelost through dehydration. Only a few address the unmet need of providingrapid cellular hydration and water distribution within the body.Beverage formulas that address cellular needs are described, forexample, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,650 to Fregly issued Sep. 15, 1992 and5,114,723 issued to Stray-Gundersen May 19, 1992.

Although there are formulas that help to combat some of the unmet needs,many of the commercial beverages cause a feeling of fullness orsatisfaction and therefore drinking is stopped before the amount ofliquid needed for rehydration is consumed.

The invention described herein is a novel composition which surprisinglyprovides enhanced cellular hydration while avoiding the prematurecessation of drinking. Further, users of the product report lower levelsof fatigue, and increased cognitive performance after heat dehydrationwhen the novel composition is used.

An object of the present invention is to provide beverage compositionswhich facilitate the distribution of fluid throughout the body,particularly at the cellular level.

Another object of this invention is to provide thirst quenching beveragecompositions.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide beveragecompositions with increased drinkability.

These and other objects will become apparent from the following detaileddescription.

All percentages herein are by weight unless otherwise specified.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The subject invention relates to a liquid composition comprising:

(a) from about 0.01% to about 0.35% flavanols;

(b) from about 0.01% to about 0.3% sodium ions;

(c) from about 0.005% to about 0.08% potassium ions;

(d) from about 0.1% to about 20% of a carbohydrate which provides

(i) from about 0.05% to about 10.0% fructose;

(ii) from about 0.05% to about 10.0% glucose; and

(e) water.

A dry composition comprising:

(a) from about 0.1% to about 3.5% flavanols;

from about 0.1% to about 3.0% sodium ions;

(c) from about 0.05% to about 0.8% potassium ions;

(d) from about 1.0% to about 95% of a carbohydrate which provides

(i) from about 0.5% to about 50% fructose;

(ii) from about 0.5% to about 50% glucose.

A method of rapidly rehydrating human or animal cells which have beendehydrated through loss of water and minerals by the ingestion of thesecompositions is also described. This product can be administered as apowder or as a tablet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Definitions

As used herein, the term "comprising" means various components can beconjointly employed in the beverages of this invention. Accordingly, theterms "consisting essentially of" and "consisting of" are embodied inthe term comprising.

As used herein, the term "drinkability" means the volume of beverageconsumed per drinking occasion. Beverages with enhanced drinkability canbe consumed in large volumes without a feeling of fullness orsatisfaction.

As used herein, the term "thirst quenching" relates to the physiologicalability of a beverage to rapidly deliver water through the humandigestive system and distribute it throughout the body and into thecells.

As used herein, the term "beverage composition" means a composition thatis single strength and ready to drink. As used herein, "beverageconcentrate" refers to a concentrate that is in liquid form. Theconcentrate is usually formulated to provide a drinkable beveragecomposition when reconstituted or diluted with water. The compositioncan also be made in an essentially dry mixture form. The essentially drymixture can be in the form of either a powder or a tablet. Thesecompositions are referred to herein as a "dry composition."

As used herein, the term "tea materials" refers to teas which includematerials obtained from the genus Camellia including Camellia sinensisand Camellia assaimica, for instance, freshly gathered tea leaves, freshtea leaves that are dried immediately after gathering, fresh tea leavesthat have been heat treated before drying to inactivate any enzymespresent, unfermented tea, fermented tea, instant green fermented tea,partially fermented tea leaves and aqueous extracts of these leaves. Teamaterials are tea leaves, their extracts, tea plant stems and otherplant materials which are related. Members of the genus Phyllanthus,Catechu gambir or Uncaria family of tea plants can also be used.Mixtures of unfermented, partially fermented and fermented, teas can beused.

As used herein, the term "tea solids" refers to solids extracted fromtea materials. The tea materials used in the present composition mustcontain unoxidized, unpolymerized flavanols.

As used herein, the term "tea extract" refers to an aqueous solutionobtained from the extraction of tea materials. This includes theflavanols and caffeine that is present. The term "tea extract" alsoencompasses aqueous solutions which have been concentrated or dried.

As used herein "flavanols" or "catechins" means primarily catechin,epicatechins, and their derivatives. These derivatives include the sugarsalts, sugar esters, and other edible physiologically availablederivatives. Green tea solids contain these flavanols. Black tea,fruits, and other natural sources also contain these flavanols but to alesser degree. The preferred flavanols are catechin, epicatechin,gallocatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, andepigallocatechin gallate.

All percentages herein are by weight unless otherwise specified.

Beverage Composition

The beverage compositions described herein have been shown to improvecognitive performance after, and decrease the recovery time from,dehydration relative to water in individuals subjected to heat-induceddehydration. Specifically, the invention comprises flavanols, whichsignificantly enhances cellular rehydration.

When the beverage compositions of the present invention areadministered, the body's physiological response to exercise orenvironmental exposure is greatly enhanced compared to the response whenthe body receives no fluids, receives only water, or receives commercialbeverages which contain electrolytes and a sugar source in addition towater. The cellular hydration advantage of the novel beveragecompositions described can be clearly measured using Multi-frequencyBio-Impedance Spectroscopy.

The replacement of body fluids and electrolytes lost by thoseindividuals engaged in moderate to strenuous activities is essential ifsmooth and efficient muscle function is to be maintained. Water andelectrolytes are lost as the body regulates its temperature throughperspiration. Those individuals undergoing work, exercise, or anyactivity requiring moderate to strenuous use of the muscles and/or theloss of body water and electrolytes need rapid replacement of the lostbody fluids and electrolytes.

The beverage compositions of this invention may be consumed by personsengaged in vigorous activity, such as athletes. It may also be consumedby people doing strenuous work, especially in hot environments, or bypeople who have suffered the loss of body fluids and electrolytes as aresult of some illness or disease. The beverage composition of thisinvention may also be consumed by anyone as a supplement to normaldietetic requirements for energy and/or water.

The beverage compositions of the present invention may be manufacturedand sold as a single-strength beverage for direct consumption by theconsumer. The product may be in the form of a syrup, an aqueousconcentrate, a dry powder, or granules which are diluted with water toyield a beverage which fulfills all the requirements of this invention.Alternatively, the product may be in the form a tablet which can betaken with water.

Flavanols

An important ingredient in the beverage composition of the presentinvention are the flavanols. The flavanols are natural substancespresent in a variety of plants (e.g. fruits, vegetables, flowers). Theflavanols used in present invention can be extracted from fruit,vegetables, green tea or other natural sources by any suitable methodwell known to those skilled in the art. For example, extraction withethyl acetate or chlorinated solvents is one way to isolate flavanols orcatechins from green tea; or, they may be prepared by synthetic or otherappropriate chemical methods. Flavanols, including catechin,epicatechin, and their derivatives are commercially available.

The flavanols may be extracted from either a single plant or mixtures ofplants. The preferred flavanols are obtained by the extraction ofplants, e.g. green tea and related plants. Many fruits, vegetables, andflowers contain flavanols but to a lesser degree. Plants containingflavanols are known to those skilled in the art. Examples of the mostcommon flavanols which are obtained from extraction of tea plants andother members of the Catechu gambir or (Uncaria family) are catechin,epicatechin, gallocatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate,epigallocatechin gallate.

The preferred source of flavanols in the beverage composition of thepresent invention is green tea. It is believed that the green tea and inparticular the flavonols present in green tea when incorporated into thebeverage are responsible for the observed enhanced cellular rehydration.

The flavanols may be in the form of a tea extract. The tea extract canbe obtained from the extraction of unfermented teas, fermented teas,partially fermented teas and mixtures thereof as long as the unoxidizedflavanols come within the specified range. Preferably the tea extractsare obtained from the extraction of unfermented and partially fermentedteas. The most preferred tea extracts are obtained from green tea. Bothhot and cold extracts can be used in the present invention. Suitablemethods for obtaining tea extracts are well known, see, for example,U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,935,256 to Tsai, issued Jun. 1990; 4,680,193 to Lunder,issued Jul. 1987; and 4,668,525 to Creswick, issued May 26, 1987. Aparticularly preferred method for obtaining a tea extract is described,for example in co-pending application Ser. No. 08/178/702, filed Jan.10, 1994.

The drinkable beverage of the present invention comprises about 0.01% toabout 0.35% unoxidized, unpolymerized flavanols, preferably from about0.02% to about 0.2%, equally preferred from about 0.025% to about 0.1%and most preferably from about 0.03% to about 0.075% unoxidized,unpolymerized flavanols.

Caffeine

It is preferred that the drinkable beverage contain from about 0.0% toabout 0.04% caffeine, preferably about 0.01% to about 0.03%, and mostpreferably from about 0.013% to about 0.02% caffeine in addition to theunoxidized, unpolymerized flavanols. The total amount of caffeineincludes the amount of caffeine naturally present in the tea extract,flavoring agent, and other ingredients as well as any added caffeine.

Electrolytes

Among the major physiological electrolytes are potassium and sodium. Theelectrolytes and ionic components for the present invention are usually,but not necessarily, obtainable from their corresponding water-solubleand non-toxic salts. They are also present in fruit juices and in thetea extract. Unless otherwise defined, the amount of electrolytes orionic components in the beverage is based on those present in the finaldrinkable beverage composition. The electrolyte concentration is of theion only and not the salt. Some of the less soluble salts must be"solubilized" in water, or in water having an acidic pH, in order to beuseful in the present invention.

The potassium ion component can be provided by any salt such as thechloride, carbonate, sulfate, acetate, bicarbonate, citrate, phosphate,hydrogen phosphate, tartrate, sorbate and the like, or mixtures thereofor as a component of added fruit juice or tea. The potassium ions arepreferably present in the drinkable beverage composition of the presentinvention in an amount of at least 0.005% to about 0.08%, preferablyfrom about 0.01% to about 0.06% and most preferably from about 0.02% toabout 0.04%.

Likewise, the sodium ion component can be obtained from any readilyavailable sodium salt, such as the chloride, carbonate, bicarbonate,citrate, phosphate, hydrogen phosphate, tartrate, benzoate and the like,and mixtures thereof or as a component of added fruit juice or tea. Itis important in the present invention that the sodium concentration below enough to facilitate the absorption of water by osmosis and notosmotically draw water out of the body into the intestine. Theconcentration of sodium needed to do this is preferably lower than thatof plasma sodium. The sodium ions are present in the drinkable beveragecomposition of the present invention in an amount of at least 0.01% toabout 0.3% preferably in an amount of from about 0.02% to about 0.2%,and more preferably from about 0.04% to about 0.15%.

In addition to potassium and sodium ions, the composition canadditionally contain chloride ion from about 0.01% to about 0.10%,preferably from about 0.03% to about 0.1% and most preferably from about0.05% to about 0.09%. The chloride ion component can be provided by asalt such as sodium chloride or potassium chloride. Other ions such ascalcium and magnesium may also be added. These ions may also be providedas a salt. The total level of ions present includes the amount naturallypresent in the beverage along with any added ion addition. For example,if sodium chloride is added, the amount of sodium ion and amount ofchloride ion would be included in the total amount of each ionaccordingly.

Carbohydrate

The beverages of the present invention also contains solublecarbohydrates. The carbohydrates can be sweeteners as well as energysources. In selecting carbohydrates for use in the present beverage itis important that the levels chosen allow a sufficient rate of stomachemptying and intestinal absorption to be effective. The carbohydrate canbe a mixture of glucose and fructose or be a carbohydrate whichhydrolyzes or otherwise forms glucose and fructose in the digestivetrack.

As used herein, the term "carbohydrate" refers to monosaccharides,oligosaccharides, complex polysaccharides, or mixtures thereof. Themonosaccharides include tetroses, pentoses, hexoses, and ketohexoses.Examples of hexoses are aldohexoses such as glucose, known as grapesugar. The amount of glucose used for the drinkable beverage compositionof the present invention preferably is from about 0.05% to about 10%,more preferably from about 1.0% to about 5.0% and most preferably fromabout 1.5% to about 3%. Fructose, known as fruit sugar, is a ketohexose.Preferably, the amount of fructose present in the drinkable beverage isfrom about 0.05% to about 10%, preferably from about 1.0% to about 5%,and most preferably from about 1.5% to about 3%. The composition hereinmust contain these two sugars and/or carbohydrates that form thesesugars in the body (i.e. sucrose, maltodextrin, corn syrups, highfrutose corn syrups). An important class of carbohydrates is adisaccharide. An example of a disaccharide is sucrose, know as canesugar or beet sugar. Preferably, the amount of sucrose present in thedrinkable beverage composition of the present invention is from about 1%to about 20%, more preferably from about 2.0% to about 10.0%, and mostpreferably from about 3% to about 6%.

The desired total carbohydrate level is from about 0.1% to about 20%,preferably from about 0.5% to about 15% and most preferably from about3% to about 6%.

One of the complex carbohydrates usable for the present invention ismaltodextrin. Maltodextrins are a form of complex carbohydrate moleculeseveral glucose units in length. They are spray-dried carbohydrateingredients made by controlled hydrolysis of corn starch. The dextroseequivalence ("D.E.") of maltodextrins provide a good index of the degreeof starch polymer hydrolysis. The amount of maltodextrin used in thedrinkable beverage composition is 0% to about 10%, preferably from 1% to4%. The preferred maltodextrins are those with a DE up to 20.

The preferred carbohydrate of the present invention is comprised of acombination of fructose and glucose to achieve an energy source capableof providing needed fuel values as the demand thereof may vary. Sincesucrose is hydrolyzed to fructose and glucose in the digestive tract itcan be used as a source of fructose and glucose. Each of these sugars isan energy food fully utilizable by cells of the body.

The total carbohydrates used in the present invention are preferably inthe amount of from about 0.1% to about 20% of the total weight of thedrinkable beverage composition. The total amount of carbohydrate includeany added carbohydrate as well as those naturally present in the fruitjuice or tea extract.

A carbohydrate derivative, polyhydric alcohol, such as glycerol may alsobe used in the present invention to provide a source of sweetness and toprovide energy such that it is readily absorbed and distributedthroughout the body. However, the presence of glycerol is not essentialto achieve the advantages of the present invention. When desired,amounts of from about 0.1% to about 15%, preferably from about 6% toabout 10% glycerol can be used in the present invention.

For diet beverages, non-caloric sweeteners can be used in conjunctionwith at least about 0.1% carbohydrate. Examples of such sweetenersinclude aspartame, saccharine, cyclamates, acesulfam-K,L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine lower alkyl ester sweeteners,L-aspartyl-D-alanine amides as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,411,925 toBrennan, et al (1983), L-aspartyl-D-serine amides disclosed in 4,399,163to Brennan et al (1983), L-aspartyl-hydroxymethyl alkane amidesweeteners disclosed in 4,338,346 issued to Brand (1982),L-aspartyl-1-hydroxyethylalkane amide sweeteners disclosed in 4,423,029to Rizzi (1983), glycyrrhizins, synthetic alkoxy aromatics, etc. Lo HanGuo juice, stevioside and other natural sources of sweeteners can alsobe used.

Other Ingredients

Other minor ingredients can be included in the beverages of the presentinvention. Such ingredients include natural and synthetically preparedflavoring agents, natural and synthetically prepared colors,preservatives, acidulants, gums, emulsifiers, oils and vitamins.

Flavoring Agents

A flavoring agent is recommended for the beverage compositions of thisinvention in order to enhance the palatability. Any natural or syntheticflavor agent can be used in the present invention. Flavoring agents canbe selected from a fruit juice, a fruit flavor, a botanical flavor ormixtures thereof. In particular the combination of tea flavors,preferably green tea or black tea flavors, together with fruit juiceshas an appealing taste. Preferred juices are apple, pear, lemon, lime,mandarin, grapefruit, cranberry, orange, strawberry, grape, kiwi,pineapple, passion fruit, mango, guava, raspberry and cherry. Citrusjuices, preferably grapefruit, orange, lemon, lime, mandarin and juicesof mango, passion fruit and guava, or mixtures thereof are mostpreferred. Preferred natural flavors are jasmine, chamomile, rose hip,peppermint, haw, chrysanthemum, water chestnut, sugar cane, lychee,bamboo shoots and the like.

The fruit juices can be present as the base to which the flavanols andother ingredients are added or used as the flavoring agent. When used asthe flavoring agent, the fruit juice is present in an amount of fromabout 0.5% to about 50%, and more preferably from about 5.0% to about30%, by weight of the beverage. This concentration is based on thesingle strength of the beverage.

Fruit flavors, botanical flavors, tea flavors and mixtures thereof canalso be used as the flavoring agent. Particularly preferred fruitflavors are the citrus flavors including orange flavors, lemon flavors,lime flavors and grapefruit flavors. Besides citrus flavors, a varietyof other fruit flavors can be used such as apple flavors, grape flavors,raspberry flavors, cranberry flavors, cherry flavors, pineapple flavorsand the like. These fruit flavors can be derived from natural sourcessuch as fruit juices and flavor oils, or else be synthetically prepared.

The flavor agent can also comprise a blend of various flavors e.g. lemonand lime flavors, citrus flavors and selected spices (the typical colasoft drink flavor) etc. If desired the flavor in the flavoring agent maybe formed into emulsion droplets which are then dispersed in thebeverage drink. Because these droplets usually have a specific gravityless than that of water and would therefore form a separate phase,weighting agents (which can also act as clouding agents) can be used tokeep the emulsion droplets dispersed in the beverage. Examples of suchweighting agents are brominated vegetable oils (BVO) and resin esters,in particular the ester gums. See L. F. Green, Developments in SoftDrinks Technology, Vol. 1 (Applied Science Publishers Ltd. 1978) pp.87-93 for a further description of the use of weighting and cloudingagents in liquid beverages. Typically the flavoring agents areconventionally available as concentrates or extracts or in the form ofsynthetically produced flavoring esters, alcohols, aldehydes, terpenes,sesquiterpenes, and the like. Typically, such flavoring agents are addedin quantities in the amount of from about 0.001% to about 2%, preferablyfrom about 0.02% to about 0.09%, by weight of the beverage.

Colors

If desired, coloring agents can also be added into the drinkablebeverage compositions or beverage concentrates of the present invention.Any soluble coloring agents approved for food use can be utilized forthe present invention.

Preservatives

When desired, preservatives, such as sorbic acid, benzoic acid,hexametaphosphate and salts thereof, can be added into the drinkablebeverage composition or beverage concentrate of the present invention.

Acidulant

Also, if desired, the composition can contain an acidulant. This isintended to describe edible acids such as malic, citric, tartaric,fumaric and the like which are commonly used in beverage drinks. Anamount of an acidulant may be used to maintain a pH of less than 4.6.Preferably the beverage has a pH of from about 2.5 to about 4.0. Thiswill enable the beverage to remain microbially safe.

Organic as well as inorganic edible acids may be used to adjust the pHof the beverage. The acids can be present in their undissociated form orelse as their respective salts, for example, potassium or sodiumhydrogen phosphate, potassium or sodium dihydrogen phosphate salts. Thepreferred acids are edible organic acids which include citric acid,malic acid, fumaric acid, adipic acid, phosphoric acid, gluconic acid,tartaric acid, ascorbic acid, acetic acid, phosphoric acid or mixturesthereof. The most preferred acids are citric and malic acids.

The acidulant can also serve as an antioxidant to stabilize beveragecomponents. Examples of commonly used antioxidant include but are notlimited to ascorbic acid, EDTA ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) andsalts thereof.

Gums, Emulsifiers, Oils

Gums, emulsifiers and oils can also be included in the beverage fortexture and opacity purposes. Typical ingredients include guar gum,xanthan gum, alginates, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), mono-diglycerides, lecithin, starches, pectin, pulp, cotton seed oil andvegetable oil.

Vitamins

The beverage compositions can additionally comprise from 0% to about150% of the U.S. RDA of vitamins such that the vitamins are chemicallyand physically compatible with the essential elements of the beveragecomposition. Preferably Vitamins A, C, and E are added. Other vitaminssuch as D and B may also be added.

Minerals

Additional minerals can be added to the beverage or dry compositions ofthe present invention. The compositions can comprise from 0% to about150% of the U.S. RDA of minerals such that the minerals are chemicallyand physically compatible with the function and essential elements ofthe present invention. Preferred minerals are calcium, chromium, copper,fluorine, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium,silicon, molybdenum and zinc. Particularly preferred minerals aremagnesium, phosphorus, and iron.

BEVERAGE PREPARATION

The drinkable beverage composition may be prepared by mixing togetherall of the ingredients. The mixture is dissolved in water and agitatedwith a mechanical stirrer until all of the ingredients have gone intosolution. The preservative, if used, can then be added. The mixture canthen be adjusted to a desired pH with an acidulant.

Single strength fruit juice may also be used to prepare the beveragecompositions of the present invention. The fruit juice or fruit juiceconcentrate can be used as the liquid base to which the flavanols andelectrolytes are added. Any carbohydrates, water, electrolytes etc.present in the fruit juice or fruit juice concentrates are included inthe total amount claimed herein.

In making a single strength beverage, a beverage concentrate syrup canbe formed first. One way to prepare the concentrate form of the liquidbeverage would be to start with less than the required volume of waterthat is used in the preparation of the drinkable beverage composition.Another way would be to partially dehydrate the finally prepareddrinkable beverage composition to remove only a portion of the water andany other volatile liquids present. Dehydration can be accomplished inaccordance with well known procedure, such as evaporation under vacuum.The concentrate can be in the form of a relatively thick, syrupy liquid.The syrup is typically formed by adding suitable (i.e. sugar,electrolytes, emulsions) to the beverage concentrate. The syrup is thenmixed with water to form a finished beverage or finished beverageconcentrate. The weight ratio of water:syrup is typically from about 2:1(3×syrup) to about 5:1 (6×syrup).

The solid can be in the form of an essentially dry powder or a tablet.The dry form can later be reconstituted with a proper amount of water tomake the final drinkable beverage composition or taken with theappropriate amount of water to deliver the levels of ingredients statedherein.

Carbon dioxide can be introduced either into the water to be mixed withthe beverage concentrate, or into the drinkable beverage composition, toachieve carbonation. The carbonated beverage composition can then bestored in a suitable container and then sealed. See L.F. Green,Developments in Soft Drinks Technology, Vol. 1 (Applied SciencePublishers Ltd. 1978), pp. 102-107, for a further description ofbeverage making, in particular the process for carbonation.

Dry Mixture

The essentially dry mixture of the beverage composition can be preparedby blending the proper amounts and ratios of all the required dryingredients together. Alternatively, the finally prepared drinkablebeverage composition can be dehydrated to give the essentially drymixture of the beverage composition. The essentially dry mixture, eitheras a powder, granules or tablets, can later be dissolved in a properamount of water, carbonated or non-carbonated, to make the finaldrinkable beverage or taken in conjunction with water.

Essentially dry forms include tablets, capsules, granules and bulkpowders. Tablets may contain suitable binders, lubricants, diluents,disintegrating agents, coloring agents, flavoring agents, flow-inducingagents and melting agents. Suitable carriers and excipients that may beused to formulate dry forms of the present invention are described inU.S. Pat. No. 3,903,297, Rober, issued Sep. 2, 1975. Techniques andcompositions for making dry forms useful in the methods of thisinvention are described in the following references; 7 ModernPharmaceutics, Chapters 9 and 10 (Banker & Rodes, editors, 1979);Liberman et al.; Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms: Tablets (1981); and Ansel,Introduction to Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms, 2nd Edition (1976).

A typical dry powder comprises from about 0.1% to about 3.5% flavanols,from about 0.1% to about 3.0% sodium ions, from about 0.05% to about0.8% potassium ions, from about 0.5% to about 50% fructose, and fromabout 0.5% to about 50% glucose. If desired from about 1% to about 95%sucrose can be used instead of fructose and glucose since sucrose ishydrolyzed to fructose and glucose in the body. The actual concentrationof the ingredients in the dry powder will depend upon the amount ofdilution or the amount of water consumed.

The following examples are given to illustrate the invention and are notintended to limit it in any way.

EXAMPLE I

A drinkable beverage composition is prepared by combining the followingingredients:

    ______________________________________                                        Ingredients        Wt. %                                                      ______________________________________                                        Fruit Juice Concentrate                                                                          4.0                                                        *Green Tea Solids  0.35                                                       Flavoring          0.06                                                       Sodium Citrate     0.32                                                       Ascorbic Acid      0.01                                                       Aspartame          0.01                                                       Glucose            0.8                                                        Water              94.45                                                      ______________________________________                                         *The green tea solids contain about 8% caffeine and about 29% unoxidized      flavanols. The final drinkable beverage has about 0.0275% caffeine and        about 0.097% unoxidized flavanols.                                       

EXAMPLE II

A beverage composition is prepared by blending the followingingredients:

    ______________________________________                                        Ingredients        Wt. %                                                      ______________________________________                                        Fruit Juice        1.7                                                        Juice Concentrate  0.64                                                       *Green Tea Extract 63                                                         Lemon Lime Flavoring                                                                             0.3                                                        Aspartame          0.25                                                       Ascorbic Acid      0.1                                                        Sodium Chloride    0.035                                                      Colorant           0.1                                                        Sodium Citrate     0.4                                                        Emulsion           1.6                                                        Water              31.875                                                     ______________________________________                                         *The green tea extract contains about 0.56% solids, about 0.04% caffeine      and about 0.156% unoxidized flavanols. The final drinkable beverage has       about 0.025% caffeine and about 0.098% unoxidized flavanols.             

EXAMPLE III

A healthy person who is exposed to temperatures of about 105° F. at 75%humidity for about one hour can consume 835 cc's of a beverage preparedaccording to Example 1. The expansion of the intra-cellular compartmentcan be measured using Multi-frequency Bio-Impedance Spectroscopy with aXitron 4000b spectrometer (Xitron Technologies, Inc.). Measurements ofthis kind show that the composition of the invention is able tosignificantly expand the intracellular water compartment when comparedto commercial beverages containing carbohydrates and electrolytes. Theexpansion may typically become noticeable when the actual volumeconsumed is about equal to the amount the person would lose throughperspiration during heat exposure. The difference is statisticallysignificant (p═0.051).

    ______________________________________                                        EXPANSION OF THE INTRA-CELLULAR WATER                                         COMPARTMENT                                                                   Beverage prepared according                                                                    Commercial beverage containing                               to Example 1     electrolytes and carbohydrates                               ______________________________________                                        N = 8            N = 9                                                        646 ± 212 cc  28 ± 200 cc                                               ______________________________________                                         N is number of subjects.                                                 

EXAMPLE IV

Five human volunteer subjects, each of whom exercises regularly byrunning a constant distance per day (5-8 k), are provided one of fourseparate beverages at the completion of their usual daily run for fourdays in a row. The beverages are the beverage prepared according toExample II, water, commercial carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage 1(CE-1), or commercial carbohydrate electrolyte beverage 2 (CE-2). Theorder of beverage consumption is randomized separately for each subject.The subject is allowed to drink as much of each beverage as they wishfor 30 minutes after exercise. All beverages are lime flavor exceptwater. The beverage according to Example II is consumed in a greatervolume than water and both of the CE beverages.

    ______________________________________                                        AVERAGE BEVERAGE VOLUME CONSUMPTION (CC's)                                    AFTER EXERCISE                                                                *EXAMPLE II BEVERAGE                                                                           CE-1     CE-2     WATER                                      ______________________________________                                        1269 cc          1099 cc  977 cc   894 cc                                     100%             87%      77%      70%                                        ______________________________________                                         *Preferred beverage is expressed as 100% consumption (1269 cc). Beverages     CE1, CE2 and water are expressed as a percentages of that volume.        

What is claimed:
 1. A dry composition consisting essentially of:(a) fromabout 0.1% to about 3.5% flavanols; (b) from about 0.1% to about 3%sodium ions; (c) from about 0.05% to about 0.8% potassium ions; (d) fromabout 1.0% to about 95% of a carbohydrate which provides(i) from about0.5% to about 50% fructose; and (ii) from about 0.5% to about 50%glucose.
 2. The composition according to claim 1 wherein saidcomposition is in the form of a tablet.
 3. The concentrate wherein saidconcentrate is in the form of a syrup consisting essentially of;(a) fromabout 0.03% to about 2.1% flavanols; (b) from about 0.03% to about 1.8%sodium ions; (c) from about 0.015% to about 0.48% potassium ions; (d)from about 0.3% to about 70% of a carbohydrate which provides(i) fromabout 0.15% to about 50.0% fructose; (ii) from about 0.15% to about50.0% glucose; and (e) from about 30% to about 70% water.
 4. A fluidcomposition for providing enhanced cellular hydration and drinkabilityconsisting essentially of:(a) from about 0.01% to about 0.35% flavanols;(b) from about 0.01% to about 0.3% sodium ions; (c) from about 0.005% toabout 0.08% potassium ions; (d) from about 0.1% to about 20% of acarbohydrate which provides(i) from about 0.05% to about 10.0% fructose;(ii) from about 0.05% to about 10.0% glucose; and (e) water.
 5. A fluidcomposition for providing enhanced cellular hydration and drinkabilityconsisting essentially of:(a) from about 0.01% to about 0.35% flavanols;(b) from about 0.01% to about 0.3% sodium ions; (c) from about 0.005% toabout 0.08% potassium ions; (d) from about 0.1% to about 20% of acarbohydrate which provides(i) from about 0.05% to about 10.0% fructose;(ii) from about 0.05% to about 10.0% glucose; (e) from about 0.001% toabout 30% of a flavoring agent; (f) from about 0.01% to about 0.04%caffeine; and (g) water.
 6. A fluid composition for providing enhancedcellular hydration and drinkability consisting essentially of:(a) fromabout 0.01% to about 0.35% flavanols; (b) from about 0.01% to about 0.3%sodium ions; (c) from about 0.005% to about 0.08% potassium ions; (d)from about 0.1% to about 20% of a carbohydrate which provides(i) fromabout 0.05% to about 10.0% fructose; (ii) from about 0.05% to about10.0% glucose; (e) from about 0.001% to about 30% of a flavoring agent;(f) from about 0.05% to about 0.09% chloride ion; and (g) water.
 7. Acomposition according to claim 5 wherein said caffeine concentration isfrom 0.013% to about 0.03%.
 8. A composition according to claim 5wherein said flavanol concentration is from about 0.02% to about 0.095%.9. A composition according to claim 8 wherein said flavanolconcentration is from about 0.025% to about 0.075%.
 10. A compositionaccording to claim 8 wherein said flavanol concentration is from about0.020% to about 0.095%.
 11. A composition according to claim 10 whereinthe concentration of flavanols is from about 0.025% to about 0.075%. 12.A composition according to claim 8 wherein said sodium ions are fromabout 0.02% to about 0.2%, said potassium ions are from about 0.01% toabout 0.06%, said carbohydrate is from about 2% to about 10% and whereinsaid carbohydrate provides from about 1% to about 5% fructose, and fromabout 1% to about 5% glucose.
 13. A composition claim 12 wherein saidsodium ions are from about 0.04% to about 0.15%, said potassium ions arefrom about 0.02% to about 0.04%, said carbohydrate is from about 3% toabout 6% and wherein said carbohydrate provides from about 1.5% to about3% fructose and from about 1.5% to about 3.0% glucose.
 14. A compositionaccording to claim 9 wherein said sodium ions are from about 0.02% toabout 0.2% said potassium ions are from about 0.01% to about 0.06%, saidcarbohydrate is from about 2% to about 10% and wherein said carbohydrateprovides from about 1% to about 5% fructose, and from about 1% to about5% glucose.
 15. A composition claim 14 wherein said sodium ions are fromabout 0.04% to about 0.15%, said potassium ions are from about 0.02% toabout 0.04%, said carbohydrate is from about 3% to about 6% and whereinsaid carbohydrate provides about 1.5% to about 3% fructose and fromabout 1.5% to about 3.0% glucose.
 16. A composition according to claim10 wherein said sodium ions are from about 0.02% to about 0.2%, saidpotassium ions are from about 0.01% to about 0.06%, said carbohydrate isfrom about 2% to about 10% and wherein said carbohydrate provides fromabout 1% to about 5% fructose, and from about 1% to about 5% glucose.17. A composition claim 16 wherein said sodium ions are from about 0.04%to about 0.15%, said potassium ions are from about 0.02% to about 0.04%,said carbohydrate is from about 3% to about 6% and wherein saidcarbohydrate provides from about 1.5% to about 3% fructose and fromabout 1.5% to about 3.0% glucose.
 18. A composition according to claim11 wherein said sodium ions are from about 0.02% to about 0.2% saidpotassium ions are from about 0.01% to about 0.06%, said carbohydrate isfrom about 2% to about 10% and wherein said carbohydrate provides fromabout 1% to about 5% fructose, and from about 1% to about 5% glucose.19. A composition claim 18 wherein said sodium ions are from about 0.04%to about 0.15%, said potassium ions are from about 0.02% to about 0.04%,said carbohydrate is from about 3% to about 6% and wherein saidcarbohydrate provides from about 1.5% to about 3% fructose and fromabout 1.5% to about 3.0% glucose.